Master of the acapella verse, it’s no surprise that the cover of Raz Simone‘s Cognitive Dissonance depicts him as a lone figure against Rembrandt chiaroscuro. The first cut, “They’ll Speak,” is epic. This is serious, activist rap; laid-back with soft beats you want to bob your head to.

Seattle hip-hop blog 206UP picked this record as one of the “Top 10 Albums of 2014,” saying that:

Raz Simone pushes weight both emotional and narcotic on this ten-track LP, the first release behind the rapper’s headline-making deal with Lyor Cohen’s 300 Entertainment. Raz’s point-of-view is clouded by contradictions, hence the album’s title, but his singular focus on stardom and stacking chips makes it impossible to not watch his every move.